African Union Youth

African Union Youth
Name	African Union Youth
Formation	2006
Headquarters	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Region served	Africa
Parent organization	African Union

African Union Youth The African Union Youth is a continental youth engagement mechanism linked to the African Union designed to integrate young people into continental decision-making. It connects youth networks across regions including the African Union Commission, African Union Development Agency, Economic Community of West African States, Southern African Development Community and Intergovernmental Authority on Development. The platform aligns youth priorities with frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area, the African Union Constitutive Act, and the Agenda 2063 vision.

History and Establishment

The origin traces to commitments made at the African Youth Charter adoption and advocacy by civil society actors like the Pan African Youth Union and the African Youth Forum. Milestones include formulations at summits such as the African Union Summit and endorsements at events hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Peer Review Mechanism. Donor and multilateral engagement from entities including the European Union, United Nations Youth Envoy, United Nations Development Programme, and World Bank supported pilot phases, while regional bodies such as the Economic Community of Central African States and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa provided inputs. Key political sponsorship came from leaders who presided over the African Union Commission, the African Union Chairperson, and ministers from member states like Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ghana.

Structure and Governance

Governance structures draw on precedents from bodies such as the African Union Commission and the Pan African Parliament. A Secretariat interfaces with organs including the Assembly of the African Union, the Executive Council (African Union), and the Permanent Representatives Committee (African Union). The advisory architecture incorporates representatives from the Pan African Youth Union, national youth councils like those in Morocco, Senegal, Uganda, Rwanda, and Botswana, and sectoral networks such as the African Youth Agripreneurs and African Women Youth Network. Oversight mechanisms mirror protocols from the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and processes used by the African Governance Architecture.

Mandate and Functions

Mandates align with instruments like the African Youth Charter and Agenda 2063 to promote participation, entrepreneurship, and leadership among youth in member states including Algeria, Cameroon, Tunisia, Angola, and Zimbabwe. Functions include policy advocacy in areas linked to the African Continental Free Trade Area negotiations, engagement on peace and security frameworks such as the African Peace and Security Architecture and the Continental Early Warning System, and contributions to development strategies influenced by the New Partnership for Africa's Development and the African Development Bank. The platform facilitates youth input into continental policy processes involving institutions such as the African Union Development Agency and the African Capacity Building Foundation.

Programs and Initiatives

Initiatives mirror precedents from programs like the African Peer Review Mechanism support projects and peer learning exchanges with networks such as the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change and the YouthConnekt Africa. Programs have included entrepreneurship accelerators tied to the African Development Bank funding windows, civic engagement convenings alongside the United Nations Population Fund, and capacity building coordinated with the African Union Youth Volunteer Corps model. The youth platform supports campaigns on health priorities addressed by African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and UNAIDS, and climate resilience in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme and the Green Climate Fund.

Membership and Representation

Representation comprises youth delegates nominated by member states such as Mali, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Sierra Leone, and Lesotho, alongside regional youth bodies like the Arab Youth Union where relevant, and continental coalitions including the African Youth Charter Coalition. Stakeholder engagement includes non-governmental actors such as ActionAid International, Oxfam, Plan International, and youth wings of political movements across the continent. The mechanism seeks parity and inclusivity reflecting commitments under the Maputo Protocol and aligns selection criteria with practices used by the Commonwealth Youth Council and the African Diaspora Youth Forum.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Partnerships extend to international organizations like the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children's Fund, and the International Labour Organization for youth employment programming, and to regional financial institutions including the African Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank for funding entrepreneurship. Collaborations with universities and research centers such as the University of Cape Town, Makerere University, University of Nairobi, University of Lagos, and the Institute for Security Studies support evidence generation. The platform engages private sector partners such as the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association and technology hubs like iHub and CcHub for innovation initiatives.

Impact, Challenges, and Criticisms

Impact includes contributions to continental policy dialogues reflected in declarations at the African Union Summit and input into programs funded by the European Union and the United States Agency for International Development. Youth-led entrepreneurship supported by partnerships with the African Development Bank and accelerators has generated startups linked to markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area. Challenges noted mirror critiques of continental mechanisms such as limited resourcing similar to concerns raised about the African Peer Review Mechanism, issues of representativeness debated in fora like the African Youth Forum, and coordination constraints paralleling those of the African Union Commission. Critics reference accountability and transparency standards established in contexts like the Open Government Partnership and call for stronger monitoring akin to reforms in the African Governance Architecture.

Category:African Union